Keeneland Reports Gains in Average, Median Prices on Friday

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LEXINGTON, KY (Nov. 9, 2012) – Castleton Lyons paid a session-topping $350,000 for stakes winner American Lady during Friday’s session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which saw increases in average and median prices.

A four-year-old filly by Stormy Atlantic out of the Rubiano mare Comfort Zone, American Lady is a half-sister to Sham Stakes (G3) winner The Pamplemousse. She was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Barry and Judith Becker purchased graded stakes winner Four Gifts, in foal to Hard Spun, for the session’s second-highest price of $340,000. Consigned by Indian Creek, agent, Four Gifts is a six-year-old daughter of Even the Score out of Agiftfromservice, by Service Stripe. She won the 2008 Boyd Gaming’s Delta Princess (G3), and 2009 Eight Belles (G3) and Charles Town Oaks, and earnings of $640,068.

Keeneland realized increases in average and median prices on Friday. The average of $82,891 rose 5.12 percent over $78,855 in 2011, while the median increased 40 percent from $50,000 to $70,000. A total of 224 horses sold for $18,567,500, down 8.38 percent from last year’s total of $20,265,700 for 257 horses.

“It was a good horse sale today,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Walt Robertson. “We had some nice weanlings, and mares with good pedigrees sold very well.”

To date, a total of 667 horses have been sold for $102,351,000, for an average of $153,450 and a median of $80,000. During the comparable period in 2011, 799 horses were sold for $167,294,200, for an average of $209,379 and a median of $100,000.

Cumulative totals for the four-day period last year include two premier dispersals – the record dispersal of the estate of Edward P. Evans’ Spring Hill Farm, which sold 123 horses for $52,685,500, and the dispersal of Saud bin Khaled’s Palides Investments N.V., Inc., which sold 20 horses sold for $16,813,000.

When dispersals are excluded from the 2011 cumulative numbers, the totals are 667 horses sold for $102,351,000 this year compared to 656 horses sold for $97,795,700 last year, for an increase of 4.66 percent. Average price of $153,450 rose 2.93 percent from $149,079, while the median of $80,000 was down 11.11 percent from $90,000 in 2011.

Christine Daae, a five-year-old mare by Giant’s Causeway, in foal to Lonhro, brought a final bid of $335,000 from Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. Out of the stakes-winning Dehere mare Descapate, Christine Daae is from the family of Kentucky Juvenile (G3) winner Lou Brissie. She was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.

Hill ‘n’ Dale consigned three of the day’s top four priced horses to be the session’s leading consignor, selling nine horses for $1,810,000.

Stonestreet also bought the session’s highest-priced weanling, paying $210,000 for a colt from the first crop of Eskendereya, consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. The colt, out of the Carson City mare Kit’s Girl, is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Eaton’s Gift.

The November Sale continues through Friday, November 16. Sessions begin daily at 10 a.m. EST. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.